WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Senior guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) keyed an 8-2 scoring burst with a three-point field goal early in the third quarter and her career-tying fifth three-point field goal later gave the Eastern Connecticut State University women's basketball team its first double-digit lead as the Warriors downed Stevenson University, 60-52, in the first game of the Williams College Morin Memorial Tournament Saturday evening at Chandler Gymnasium.
 
Senior guard Martha Chatman's (Meriden) only points of the game gave the Warriors the lead for good, 27-26, in the final minute of the first half, and leading by that one point at halftime, Eastern (1-2) never allowed Stevenson (1-1) to score more than four points in a row in the second half.
 
The Warriors never trailed by more than four points in the first half and leading by one at halftime, outscored Stevenson by six points over five minutes in the third quarter that pushed their lead to eight, 41-33 in the final three minutes of the quarter. O'Brien's three-point made it 36-31 and soon after, sophomore Taylor Salato (East Haven) came off the bench to score the team's final six points of the quarter with consecutive inside baskets and a pair of free throws. In all, the Warriors outscored the Mustangs, 16-8 in the third quarter to take a nine-point lead into the final ten minutes. In the third, Eastern forced eight turnovers with five steals and got a combined 13 inside points from Barry and Salato. Stevenson missed ten of 13 shots over those ten minutes.

After scoring her 1,000^th career point Tuesday at Trinity College, All-America forward Anna Barry (Andover) led both teams with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while O'Brien finished one shy of her career-high with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting (5-of-8 from distance) with four assists and four steals. Salato added 12 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench, with senior guard Julie Keckler (Trumbull) handing out six assists and senior guard Jenna Serrantino (Cromwell) grabbing six rebounds. Eastern's three double-figure scorers accounted for all but 13 of the team's final point total.
 
Behind Barry and Salato, Eastern outrebounded the Mustangs by nine.
 
Stevenson sophomore guard Laci Johnson, who scored 19 points in her team's season-opening win on Wednesday, led the Mustangs with 17 points, with senior guard Aysia Ferguson adding ten points.
 
Eastern faces first-time opponent Albright College Sunday at 1 p.m. in the second round of the tournament. Albright (2-2) was beaten by host Williams College, 76-69, earlier Saturday.